D.C. is Getting a Duggar

One of the 19 Duggar children is leaving the family's home state of Arkansas and moving to D.C. for a job with the Family Research Council. There, Josh Duggar will take over as the Executive Director of FRCAction, the lobbying arm of the conservative organization probably best known for its anti-gay advocacy.

The Duggars are conservative Christians who became famous after TLC created a reality show about their enormous family, and Josh is the oldest child. The family as a whole have been active in conservative outreach on the national level before, for instance, by campaigning for Rick Santorum (and then eventually endorsing Romney). And here they are, von Trapping at the 2011 March For Life in Little Rock:

So the news that Josh is entering political advocacy is hardly a surprise — it's part of the family business. Plus, Buzzfeed reported rumors of his interest in the job back in March.

The FRC says that Josh will be able to help with "grassroots" outreach for the organization, probably because he's easily marketable as an outsider to D.C. politics. As it turns out, the Washington Post reported, Josh's dad has known FRC president Tony Perkins since 2002, when the two ran unsuccessfully as candidates for the Senate. But the job announcement, keeping on the grassroots theme, is sticking strong to the "gee whiz" folksy charm that the FRC is hoping will make Josh an effective member of their team, one that's relatable to their target audience outside the beltway."I think helping with all the logistics of the family of 19," Perkins said on his Monday radio show about the hire, adding, "certainly you are going to be handling campaigns and political activities ... should be a breeze."

News reports are focusing on the Germanwings pilot's possible depression, following a familiar script in the wake of mass killings. But the evidence shows violence is extremely rare among the mentally ill.